WEINER GIFTED AND TALENTED PROGRAM
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creativity intro

CREATIVITY SCAVENGER HUNT --show kids the "categories" in the following slide show and challenge them to create a similar slideshow, ...but --try to locate images they think will be more creative than anyone else's. Kids share their slideshow and then students VOTE!  FUN!!!!




​CREATIVITY IN OUR PROGRAM:

Our program focuses heavily on creativity, infusing it into all –what we do, how we do it, and why we do what we do.  While it is true that some students have a natural creative gift, with instruction and practice, creativity can be
learned just like reading!  Most children enter first grade as non-readers; however, there are those few
Kindergarten children who are fluent readers, even reading with expression and changing their voice for each character.  With the efforts of daily teaching and helping parents, all children learn to read.  Reading skills are
introduced and practiced in one form or another throughout all a student’s years in school.

Imagine the possibilities of like immersion in creativity. All students would be involved in daily instruction in creativity, developing that ability within themselves. Those who naturally have that talent would exercise it to heights impossible to measure.  I taught piano lessons for several years and discovered quickly that even students
lacking natural musical ability learned to play through daily practice and ongoing instruction.  

The teaching of creativity is vital for today’s world. The problems we face require creative responses.  It is
preposterous to believe that somehow that will occur without instruction and the exercising of creative thought and application.  Would you rather have a lawyer, or a creative lawyer working on a case? Would you rather have a regular physician, or a creative physician if you were diagnosed with a terminal disease? Would you rather your child have a teacher, or a creative teacher?  Creativity increases the productivity of the individual and increases the efficiency and effectiveness of problem solving.  It must be taught and taught in a deliberate manner, honoring its value to today’s student and our world.

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BARRIERS TO CREATIVITY
Be aware of them so you can break out when they try to hold you back!


1. Fear of mistakes (see "Mistakes" under CREATIVITY FACTS on this website) --understand that mistakes often help you to be MORE creative



2. Habits --expecting and looking for things to always be a certain way...ask yourself, "What if?"  Look for opportunities to try new things.

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3. ...something called "self-censorship" --that inside voice that tries to hold you back, saying you will look stupid; that voice that makes you afraid by saying your idea will never work.  It’s like getting into a cold swimming pool — you can dive in head first, or inch your way in. Either way, it’s going to be bone-chillingly cold. But once you’ve got over the initial shock and got into the flow of it, you may be surprised to discover how great you feel.

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4. Criticism.  Nobody likes to be criticized. Unfortunately, those negative Debbie-Downer types are out there.  Don't give them power over you. Their comments are more about who they are than about your idea.

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5. Perfectionism.  There are NO perfect ideas or solutions --believing there is, robs you of your creativity!  All ideas are simply that --ideas.  To even come a little close to "perfect," ideas have to be worked with and improved and worked with some more...

Check out "the Creativity Post"  --great website with lots of good articles about creativity


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Although creativity is part of all learning activities, occasionally a creativity skill is taught in isolation in order to hone in on the skill.  The link at the bottoms shows a few of the "isolation" creativity projects we've done:

REJECTING THE ORDINARY --

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...so what can a circle be?

   The challenge was to think creatively, rejecting the things most people would think of, forcing students to distinguish between what is ordinary and what truly unique.  Students utilized KERPOOF (free digital online drawing program) in their creations. 
   This activity began with all students working collectively to brainstorm 200 things that a circle could be turned into. Each of these was recorded.  Then students had to think of something NOT named to turn their circle into.



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  • Home
    • PRESENTATIONS >
      • GT, AMI, Today's World
      • AAGEA keynote
      • Characteristics/Identification
      • BRUNDIBAR -AGATE
      • Parenting G.T. Kids
      • Letting Go of Testing
      • GT & Innovation
      • Affective & Discipline Strategies
      • Classroom Website - Your Best Friend
      • Differentiation
      • Putting on a Play
    • Handbook
    • Scope and Sequence
  • THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE
    • LESSONS
    • Instruments We Are Using
    • Music in Visual Art
    • Music Glossary
  • Productions!
    • Charlotte's Web /Journey of Life >
      • CAST LIST!
      • Newsletter!
      • Charlotte's Web >
        • Read with Us
        • SUMMARY WRITING
        • Chapter Activities
        • My OWN Farm
      • Iliad & Odyssey >
        • ILIAD summaries
        • Iliad Discussion
        • VIDEOS
      • The Odyssey >
        • Characters
        • Student Summary Pages
        • Odyssey Discussion
      • Watership Down >
        • Characters
        • CANA discussion
        • VOCABULARY
        • LAPINE lanaguage
        • Flora in Watership Down
    • Adventures of Matilda >
      • Roald Dahl & "Matilda!" >
        • Roald Dahl Activities
        • MORE Book Activities
        • MUSIC 4 fun!
        • The Musical
        • Books
        • ENCOURAGING READING
        • Dahl & WRITING! (Activities)
    • Inside Out >
      • Newsela Emotions
    • ANNIE >
      • Annie Dress Rehearsal PHOTOS
      • Roaring 20's Party!
    • Cinderella Photos/Curriculum
    • A Christmas Carol >
      • Why A Christmas Carol? >
        • Essential Questions
        • Watership/Leadership Podcast
        • READ >
          • Response Questions
          • Vocabulary
        • Oliver Twist
        • Street Children
        • Carol Study Guide
        • Dickens' BIO
        • Research LINKS
        • Original Manuscript
        • Dickens and Art
        • Play INFO
        • G.T. Farewell PARTY
    • COMING TO AMERICA! >
      • Story of Annie Moore
      • Mrs. Dunn's Lovely Farm
      • The Hundred Dresses
      • Orphan Train
      • Immigration Terms
      • Statue of Liberty
    • Lights, Camera, Comedy!
    • Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
    • Bye, Bye Birdie
    • "It's a Wonderful Life!"
    • The Taming of the Shrew
    • A Midsummer Night's Dream
    • Harvest Celebration
  • Holocaust Education
    • Holocaust Presentations >
      • Timeline
      • Anne Frank
      • Words from Dr. John Roth
      • WWII PHOTOS
      • Shedding Light on the Shadow
    • Remembrance SEDER
    • BRUNDIBAR! >
      • All About Brundibar
      • Terezin Specialists
    • "Who Will Carry the Word?"
  • Past Studies
    • Mysteries
    • THE NOVEL PROJECT
    • MATILDA AT HOME! AMI >
      • HUMAN Masterpieces
      • CORONA DISK JOCKEY!
      • "If I Were a Rich Man/Woman" >
        • Kylie's Gallery
        • Benton's Gallery
        • Xander's Gallery
        • Gentrye's Gallery
        • Ava's Gallery
        • Cannon's Gallery
        • Tyler's Gallery
        • Eli's Gallery
        • Jax Gallery
        • Madden's Gallery
        • Troy's Gallery
        • Brody's Gallery
        • Peyton's Gallery
        • Scarlet's Gallery
        • Mack's Gallery
        • Amelia's Gallery
        • Emily's Gallery
        • Rylee's Gallery
        • Cal's Gallery
        • Marley's Gallery
        • Sam's Gallery
      • Character in Action
    • Anthropomorphism >
      • LIST # 1 >
        • Black Beauty
        • Mrs. Frisby & the Rats of Nimh
        • Bunnicula!
        • Babe
        • The Sight
        • The Jungle Book
        • Tale of Despereaux
        • Wind in the Willows
        • Chronicles of Narnia
        • Mouse Called Wolf
        • One / Only Ivan
        • Watership Down
      • LIST # 2 >
        • Martin's Mice
        • Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
        • Fire Bringer
        • Never-ending Story
        • Trumpet Swan
        • Animal Farm
        • Cricket Times Square
        • Redwall
        • Nest for Celeste
        • Winnie the Pooh
        • WARRIORS
        • MOUSE/ Motorcycle
      • LIST # 3 >
        • Freddy Goes to Florida
        • The Capture
        • Ace the Very Important Pig
        • PAX
        • The Golden Compass
        • Stuart Little
        • The Underneath
        • Tales Beatrix Potter
        • Bambi
        • MAUS
        • Poppy
        • WAR HORSE
        • Masterpiece
      • Anthropomorphic Wisdom
      • MENTAL PUZZLES
      • ACTIVE Reading
  • K/1 /2 Enrichment
    • MORE K/1 /2 Activities >
      • STILL More K/1 /2 Activities >
        • What is Creativity?
        • Memory Frameworks
        • Creativity Analogy Task
        • Rudyard Kipling Project
        • Things that are Red
        • BEDS for K-1
        • Christmas!
        • Book of Kells
        • Tree Tunnels
        • Wired Animals
        • Flashlight
        • Originality Lesson
      • Helping Young Kids with Testing
  • Creativity
    • Creativity INTRO >
      • Creative Thinking Tools
      • Why Creativity Counts
      • Creativity Videos
      • Creativity Facts
  • Nurturing CULTURE
    • Character Words
    • PLACE OF THE WEEK
    • ARTIST OF THE WEEK
    • MUSICIAN / COMPOSER OF THE WEEK
  • "Stuff I Like" (for teachers)
    • Algebra for Kids! >
      • Creative Algebra Projects
  • About the Teacher
    • Recognition
    • When I Worked With Secondary >
      • A Final Goodbye
      • 911 Tribute
      • ExCEL
      • Broadway!
      • Power Women!
      • Pumpkin Vault
      • Affective
    • Blog
    • Miss Hesse's European Adventure